Why is it difficult for Kurds to reclaim their homeland?

Answer 1

Kurdistan is a term applied to regions of southeast Turkey, northeast Syria, northern Iraq, and northwest Iran in reference to the Kurdish ethnic majority who live on that land. The Kurds, by and large, want independence from their host nations and to create an independent republic on these majority Kurdish lands.

The difficulty for this comes from two main issues. In the case of Turkish and Iranian Kurdistan, we are dealing with two very strong countries with a developed infrastructure and substantial military power. Even though Kurds punch above their weight as concerns their military prowess, their militias like the Peshmerga could not survive a direct assault against the incredible power of the Turkish Army or the Iranian Army, which are among the three most powerful in the Middle East. Conversely, the Kurds in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan have been able to create de facto independence due to the lack of political force able to compel their staying under Arab domination. This has come as a result of the Iraqi Civil War (between the government and ISIL) and the Syrian Civil War. Regardless, Iraqi Kurdistan wishes quite strongly to continue to receive US protection to fight ISIL and therefore must support the US stance that Iraq remain one united, federal republic and not assert independence.

Answer 2

Kurds face challenges in reclaiming their homeland due to geopolitical factors, opposition from regional governments, lack of international support, and ongoing conflicts in the region. The Kurdish population is spread across several countries, making it hard to unify efforts. Efforts to establish an independent Kurdish state have been met with resistance and are often seen as destabilizing by neighboring countries.